Our Leadership

ARE President/CEO

Mrs. Minor joined the ARE staff in February of 1996. She began as a consultant for residential programs, then quickly became Manager of ARE's first home for abused and neglected boys. She was appointed as the Deputy Director for Residential Services in 2001. Mrs. Nokes-Minor has an extensive history of working in the Human Service arena as a counselor, mentor, trainer, and administrator. She provided administrative and fiscal oversight for ARE's Residential Services Division that was at one time comprised of as many as 9 therapeutic homes for abused, neglected, and adjudicated youth.

In 2011, Dayna Nokes-Minor became President and CEO of ARE with the vision to be one of the most effective family service providing agencies in the District of Columbia. She is driven to enhance current programs, introduce new initiatives, strengthen the clinical components, and provide outcome driven services.

Mrs. Minor is a graduate of Clark College, Atlanta, Georgia, with a major in Social Work. She has also taken graduate courses at Howard University's School of Human Ecology.

ARE Board of Directors

Iris Bond Gill is principal and owner of IBG Consulting Group, a firm consulting on education, workforce, and youth development policies and programs at the local, state and national levels. She brings 20 years of education policy and management experience to the table to propel agencies and nonprofit organizations to deliver on their missions. Prior to founding IBG Consulting in 2015, Iris was Interim Assistant Superintendent of Elementary and Secondary Education, where she oversaw federal programs, served as a member of the Superintendent's leadership cabinet, and liaised with other education leaders and local elected officials.

Iris has a Master's degree from H. John Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University and a BS from Arizona State University. She currently serves on the board of directors of Story of Our Schools and chairs the board of directors of Associates for Renewal in Education, Inc (ARE).

Cubie A. Bragg, Ph.D., DAC, NCC., LICSW, LCPC is a licensed counselor and psychotherapist. He holds a Ph. D. in clinical psychology, and he is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Counseling at Bowie State University. He is also Director of the Adler-Dreikurs Institute of Human Services and coordinator of the Adlerian Counseling Psychology Program at Bowie State University. He is an internationally known lecturer, and a national doctoral addiction counselor and therapist. He is certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc., and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the District of Columbia. Dr. Bragg has completed extensive research in stress management, depression and anxiety disorders. He serves as a reviewer for several national journals and is the recipient of numerous awards for his outstanding work with youth and child care workers. Dr. Bragg is Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Bragg Training Consultants and President of The family Education Center of Metropolitan Washington. He has published independently, with peers and graduate students. He has also co-authored conference papers, thesis manuals, developed new courses, and written grants. He currently serves on various boards of directors and committees at Bowie State University and the community at large. He continues to present scholarly papers at several professional conferences and maintains applied skills via consulting in his areas of expertise. Dr. Bragg served for ten years as Principal Investigator and Project Director for The National Minority Male Health Project funded by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Minority Health. He currently is the Principal Investigator at Bowie State University's Peer Recovery Training Workforce Project which is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program.

Dr. Demitri C. Kornegay, Secretary
Profession: Psychotherapist

Dr. Demitri C. Kornegay is a retired lieutenant after 31 years with the Montgomery County Police Department in Montgomery County, Maryland in 2014. Dr. Kornegay received his Bachelors of Art in Speech Communications and Theater Arts. He minored in Sociology. He graduated from Bowie State University in 2010 after earning his Master's degree in Counseling Psychology. He earned his Doctorate degree in Education from Argosy University. His major was Counseling Education and Supervision. He is also a member of Leadership Prince George's.

Demitri C. Kornegay, Ed.D, NCC, LGPC, is a nationally certified counselor who is also a licensed graduate professional counselor. He currently teaches "Principles & Philosophies of Counseling Psychology" at Bowie State University and "Diversity & Social Justice" at John Hopkins University. He also continues to provide positive motivation for young people as a psychological associate at a counseling firm in the Washington Metropolitan area.

Treasurer - VACANT

Ino Okoawa, Member
Profession: CEO of Education Compliance Associates

Ino Okoawo is the founder and CEO of Education Compliance Associates, a business consulting agency where she currently works to enhance performance in academics, compliance, and operations. She has been directly involved with management, compliance, and strategic operations, with a focus on public education, for over fifteen years. After being employed by D.C.

Public Charter School Board (PCSB) as an office manager in 2003, Ino gained experience in human resources, student data collection, and account management. A year later she became the Operations Manager of the Board, a position she held until 2013, where she developed and managed policies, protocols, and internal controls to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of charter schools. She has worked closely with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Deputy Mayor of Education, and other essential governmental agencies to provide monitoring, guidance, and oversight for federal, state, local, and school compliance and reporting documents. With this experience, she has fueled ECA to become a top-notch, full-service provider for charter school needs. Her passion for education and development was extended internationally in 2007 when she established the Amenawon Foundation, which supports economic and educational development in Nigeria. Ino holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University. She is the mother of 4 young children.

Kerslyn D. Featherstone is a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Ms. Featherstone graduated from Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting in 1993. In 2001, Ms. Featherstone received her Juris Doctor from Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. Ms. Featherstone has worked in public service for the Office of the Attorney General for over 15 years. In her role as an Senior Assistant Attorney General, she represents the District of Columbia in both civil litigation matters as well as prosecuted adult criminal traffic matters. Ms. Featherstone is a long-standing District of Columbia resident and currently resides in Ward 7.